The Op (USAopoly) co-founder Dan Chapin has returned as CEO, and hired Upper Deck veteran Jodi Wasserman as the company’s new Vice President of Marketing, the company announced. Chapin and his sisters founded the company as USAopoly in 1994 to publish city editions of Monopoly, a license that was soon expanded to other categories. Since then, the company has expanded both its licensed and original game portfolios. Chapin left the company for a time to pursue other business interests but has now returned. Wasserman was at Upper Deck for 16 years in progressively higher-level marketing roles, most recently as Vice President – Marketing.
Chapin is promising a change in direction for the company. “In my time away from The Op, I had the chance to think about the brand in a new light and began to see the opportunity for a more diversified portfolio beyond the company’s core offerings,” he said. “While we continue to secure on-trend licenses and provide games for fans of all ages, there are still several categories and mediums that we haven’t fully tapped into that can take our signature games, especially Telestrations and Blank Slate, to the next level.”
Chapin and Wasserman will collaborate in their new roles on the digital and TV launch of Telestrations, the company’s bestselling game; a digital version of the game is planned, and a Telestrations TV show is also in the works.
Source: ICV2
